bug#21325: ls : feature request --width=zero

[Beco]

On 22 August 2015 at 22:37, Paul Eggert <address@hidden> wrote:

That's annoying.  Thanks for the bug report.  I'm a bit dubious about equating zero to infinity, though, so I installed the attached patch instead.  It will let you use whatever large number you like.  E.g.:

  ls -w999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

will do the right thing.  For now, you can work around the problem with:

  ls -w4294967295

which should work on unpatched GNU ‘ls’.

Hello, Paul,

Thanks for the quick answer.

Regarding the zero being infinity, well, it doesn't need to be zero.

But a shortcut would be nice. For example, instead of:

ls -w999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

it could be ls -wMAX

I thought about zero because: 

1- its a number, easier to implement (than parsing a word like MAX)

2- its not being used (gives an error if you try) (*)

Its just that a script with so many 99..99 numbers would be hard to read, nothing more.

Ty,

Beco

--

(*) Debian Jessie:

$ ls -m -w0

ls: invalid line width: 0

$ ls -m -w18446744073709551616

ls: invalid line width: 18446744073709551616

$ ls -m -w18446744073709551615

(runs ok, no error)

--

Dr Beco
A.I. researcher

"I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant" -- Alan Greenspan

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